Scientific Consensus Research Articles

Standardized Ultrasound Evaluation for Active Surveillance of Low-Risk Thyroid Microcarcinoma in Adults: 2024 Korean Society of Thyroid Radiology Consensus Statement.

Active surveillance (AS) has been widely adopted as an alternative to immediate surgery owing to the indolent nature and favorable outcomes of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC). AS is generally recommended for tumors measuring ≤1 cm without aggressive cytological subtypes, risk of gross extrathyroidal extension (ETE), lymph node metastasis (LNM), or distant metastasis. AS requires careful patient selection based on various patient and tumor characteristics, and ultrasound (US) findings. Moreover, during AS, regular US is performed to monitor any signs of tumor progression, including tumor growth, new US features of potential gross ETE, and LNM. Therefore, appropriate imaging-based assessment plays a crucial role in determining whether AS or surgery should be pursued. However, detailed recommendations concerning US evaluation are currently insufficient, necessitating the formulation of this guideline. The Korean Society of Thyroid Radiology has developed a consensus statement for low-risk PTMC, covering US assessment methods when considering AS as a management option and conducting follow-up imaging tests during AS. This guideline aims to provide optimal scientific evidence and expert opinion consensus regarding a standardized US-based assessment protocol for low-risk PTMC.

Learning from and about scientists: Consensus messaging shapes perceptions of climate change and climate scientists

Abstract Despite overwhelming scientific consensus on the existence of human-caused climate change, public opinion among Americans remains split. Directly informing people of scientific consensus is among the most prominent strategies for climate communication, yet the reasons for its effectiveness and its limitations are not fully understood. Here, we propose that consensus messaging provides information not only about the existence of climate change but also traits of climate scientists themselves. In a large (N = 2,545) nationally representative survey experiment, we examine how consensus information affects belief in human-caused climate change by shaping perceptions of climate scientist credibility. In the control group (N = 847), we first show that people learn both from and about climate scientists when presented with consensus and that perceived scientist credibility (especially skill) mediates up to about 40% of the total effect of consensus information on climate belief. We demonstrate that perceptions of climate scientists are malleable with two novel interventions that increase belief in climate change above and beyond consensus information.

Can’t stop scrolling! Adolescents’ patterns of TikTok use and digital well-being self-perception

Digital well-being, which refers to a balanced individual experience of digital consumption, has been gaining attention recently in the study of the effects of digital technology use. Social networks are central in debates over digital well-being, as social media overuse is often identified as a primary issue. Teenagers who spend an average of three hours daily on social media especially draw the attention of researchers. Based on statistical evidence, TikTok is the most popular network among young users worldwide. However, there are not many platform-specific studies on its effects on adolescent well-being. One of the most consistent gaps is the lack of research on how different aspects involved in TikTok use impact adolescents’ digital well-being on the app. In light of this, the study aimed to explore the relationship between time spent on TikTok, content consumption, and self-perception of digital well-being. Given the scientific consensus on social media’s greater impact on girls, this study also sought to examine gender differences. For that purpose, a quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted with 737 Spanish adolescents aged 12 to 18, who completed an online questionnaire with validated scales and items on daily usage time, type of content consumption, and digital well-being. Results showed significant gender differences in TikTok usage and content consumption: girls spent more time on TikTok and notably engaged more with beauty and fashion content, while boys with video games and sports content, suggesting that traditional gender roles are still present in their choices of content consumption. Beyond that, a rather positive self-perception of digital well-being on TikTok by teenagers was observed. Despite this, an increased TikTok usage was associated with a reduced ability to set boundaries and limit their time on the app. These findings highlight the need for measures to limit the time adolescents spend on TikTok, such as mandatory parental controls on electronic devices and educational programs aimed at promoting healthy digital habits.

The Black Box of Single-Family Zoning Reform

America faces a staggering housing affordability crisis. The consequences of the crisis include reduced economic productivity, suppressed labor mobility, greater social inequity, and increased homelessness. A scholarly consensus blames excessive land-use regulation for these problems and advocates now call for deregulation. Several jurisdictions have recently elected to allow middle housing—small, multi-family developments—in areas previously zoned for single-family detached housing. The results of these reforms, however, have been disappointing. This Article examines why they have fallen short and how to do better. This Article identifies an analytical disconnect between the deregulatory consensus and actual single-family zoning reforms adopted to date. Given this disconnect and the limited success of single-family zoning reforms thus far, it is unclear why such reforms continue to be adopted. Moreover, these reforms cannot achieve their promised ends. Interviews of middle housing builders in reform jurisdictions reveal legal and structural barriers that prevent market participants from responding to the housing crisis with scale and urgency. This Article proposes several regulatory alternatives that offer a greater probability of success in achieving the consensus’s goals: (1) modestly expanding multi-family zones to allow redevelopment and densification of underutilized non-residential properties; (2) providing affordable-housing density bonuses; (3) streamlining land-use procedures and eliminating administrative delay to reduce uncertainty in permitting processes; and (4) reevaluating financing mechanisms for new housing development. Taken together, these policies are necessary complements to single-family zoning reforms for addressing undersupply of market- and below-market-rate housing.

Considering multiple perspectives and scientific consensus: information literacy in the science classroom

Considering multiple perspectives and scientific consensus: information literacy in the science classroom

Conspiratorial Storytelling and Environmental Crisis

ABSTRACT What happens when the narrative of conspiracy theory is used to represent the ecological crisis? Among climate scientists, conspiracy theories are often considered harmful, because they spread doubt about the global scientific consensus on climate change. In recent years, however, the rhetoric of conspiracy theory has become increasingly common among environmental filmmakers who use its narrative conventions to tell stories about complex environmental issues. This article explores this trend by analysing the Netflix documentary, Seaspiracy (2021), which portrays the oceanic crisis as the result of global corruption. The article demonstrates how the film’s high narrative velocity, its negotiation of individual agency, and its construction of ‘hierarchies of scale’ create an ambiguous depiction that is both overwhelming and reductive, yet also highly engaging and, potentially, empowering. Reflecting on this ambiguity, the article argues that this emergent subgenre provides insights into our shifting relations with the ecological crisis and its representational challenges.

A Descriptive Analysis of the Use of Various Therapeutics in a Cohort of COVID-19 Patients and the Influence of Media Coverage

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) impacted the healthcare system immensely throughout 2020-2022. Treatment practices varied in Texas, as guidelines were in flux. As a result, a variety of therapeutics were used. Many verified medications with scientific basis were trialed, while others were implemented despite a lack of scientific consensus. This study aimed to identify how practice patterns to treat and manage COVID-19 changed over time in a cohort of patients in the University of Texas Medical Branch hospital system. Methods: Ninety participants with a COVID-19 diagnosis were included in the analysis for this study. Data was collected by a retrospective chart review, and included medications administered before and during current admission. Medications were categorized as: antiviral, antibiotic, steroid, supplement, antibody, hydroxychloroquine, and others. Results: Differences in therapeutic use were identified based on hospitalization status (outpatient or inpatient) and month admitted. The largest difference in the antiviral remdesivir (78%), requiring intravenous administration for up to ten days. In the outpatient setting, antibiotics, primarily azithromycin, were quite common. Additionally, month-to-month variation in steroid use and antibiotic use was observed. Conclusion: This study shows that adapting medical guidelines and strong media coverage played a role in the clinical management of COVID-19 patients. At times, some ineffective medications were prescribed such as hydroxychloroquine. Medical leaders and news coverage should collaborate closely in future public health emergencies to prevent the prescription of ultimately ineffective and potentially hazardous treatments.

Quantifying convergence and consistency.

The reproducibility crisis highlights several unresolved issues in science, including the need to develop measures that gauge both the consistency and convergence of data sets. While existing meta-analytic methods quantify the consistency of evidence, they do not quantify its convergence: the extent to which different types of empirical methods have provided evidence to support a hypothesis. To address this gap in meta-analysis, we and colleagues developed a summary metric-the cumulative evidence index (CEI)-which uses Bayesian statistics to quantify the degree of both consistency and convergence of evidence regarding causal hypotheses between two phenomena. Here, we outline the CEI's underlying model, which quantifies the extent to which studies of four types-positive intervention, negative intervention, positive non-intervention and negative non-intervention-lend credence to any of three types of causal relations: excitatory, inhibitory or no-connection. Along with p-values and other measures, the CEI can provide a more holistic perspective on a set of evidence by quantitatively expressing epistemic principles that scientists regularly employ qualitatively. The CEI can thus address the reproducibility crisis by formally demonstrating how convergent evidence across multiple study types can yield progress toward scientific consensus, even when an individual type of study fails to yield reproducible results.

HIV Denial in the COVID Era.

Though scientific consensus regarding HIV causation of AIDS was reached decades ago, denial of this conclusion remains. The popularity of such denial has waxed and waned over the years, ebbing as evidence supporting HIV causation mounted, building again as the internet facilitated connection between denial groups and the general public, and waning following media attention to the death of a prominent denier and her child and data showing the cost of human life in South Africa. Decades removed from these phenomena, HIV denial is experiencing another resurgence, coupled to mounting distrust of public health, pharmaceutical companies, and mainstream medicine. This paper examines the history and current state of HIV denial in the context of the COVID pandemic and its consequences. An understanding of the effect of this phenomenon and evidence-based ways to counter it are lacking. Community-based interventions and motivational interviewing may serve to contain such misinformation in high-risk communities.

State of scientific research problems of judicial proceedings in civil jurisdiction

The article reveals current problems and the state of scientific research on judicial proceedings in civil proceedings. In particular, special attention is paid to the issue of justice. The definitions and content of justice given by both scientists and its normative basis are analyzed. It is established that some scientists define justice as the main function of the court, while others define it as a form of activity of the court itself. The proposed author’s definition of the concept of «justice». Issues of access to justice are highlighted. It is suggested that the issue of access to justice be classified as one of the main principles of the civil process. The availability of justice and access to court is considered in the context of the concept of basic human rights and freedoms. Access to justice is defined as a combination of such interrelated elements as unconditional freedom, state- guaranteed opportunity and equality of a person whose rights have been violated to apply for judicial protection of his rights and legitimate interests to a competent court; the duty of the court to accept the case for its proceedings, without applying formal reasons for refusal. Application of universal and unlimited court jurisdiction; guarantees of competitiveness, proper judicial procedures, which ensure reasonable terms of consideration of the case. Particular attention is paid to the main principles recommended by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to member states regarding measures that facilitate access to justice. The opinions of scientists revealing the meaning of such principles as simplification of court proceedings, acceleration of proceedings and court costs are established. The work analyzes official statistical data for 2020 - 2023, regarding the number of cases that were considered in the order of simplified legal proceedings in all courts on the territory of Ukraine. It was concluded that, in minor cases, it would be appropriate to develop and implement national standards that would allow individuals to independently fill out understandable standard forms of procedural documents and submit them to the court, without consulting legal experts. It is proposed to use a differentiated approach to determine the size of the court fee depending on the person’s income or depending on the degree of difficulty of the case, taking into account the procedural costs and time for consideration of the case.

ICardioMonitor Digital Monitoring System for People with Heart Failure: Development and Evaluation of Its Accessibility and Usability

Background/Objectives: The use of eHealth as a monitoring system in people with heart failure (HF) has been shown to be effective in promoting self-care and reducing re-admissions and mortality. The present study develops and evaluates the accessibility and usability of the web app iCardioMonitor HF monitoring system. Methods: This study consisted of two stages. The first stage (co-design) comprised two phases: (1) analysis of the scientific literature and expert opinions and (2) co-design of the iCardioMonitor (web app plus a knowledge-base algorithm) and definition of alert criteria. The second stage (cross-sectional descriptive study) analyzed system accessibility (% of people using the iCardioMonitor and % of parameters recorded) and usability, employing the Spanish version of the System Usability Scale for the Assessment of Electronic Tools. Results: The iCardioMonitor was configured by a web app and an algorithm with the capacity to detect decompensated HF automatically. A total of 45 patients with an average age of 55.8 years (standard deviation [SD] = 10.582) and an average time since diagnosis of 7.1 years (SD = 7.471) participated in the second stage. The percentage of iCardioMonitor use was 83.2%. The average usability score was 77.2 points (SD = 21.828), higher in women than men (89.2; SD = 1.443–76.0; SD = 1.443) (p = 0.004). The usability score was higher the shorter the time since diagnosis (r = 0.402; p = 0.025) and the higher the number of responses (r = 0.377; p = 0.031). Conclusions: The results obtained show that iCardioMonitor is a tool accepted by patients and has obtained a remarkable score on the usability scale. iCardioMonitor was configured by a web app and an algorithm with the capacity to detect decompensated HF automatically.

IMPORTANCE OF INTERNATIONAL PRINCIPLES OF COOPERATIVE ACTIVITY IN CLUSTER ACTIVITIES

This article provides scientific opinions and discussions about the types of international cooperative principles developed by the International cooperative union, their content, role in the economy, as well as their significance in conducting economic policy related to the formation and development of the newly introduced cluster model in Uzbekistan. Some of the issues in cluster activity and their legal solutions are also discussed.

Clinical Performance and Safety of Cerviron® Vaginal Ovules in the Management of Symptomatic Cervical Lesions: A National, Multicentric Study

Background: Cervical ectropion is frequently associated with vaginal symptoms requiring therapeutic intervention. However, no scientific consensus has been reached regarding the use of local re-epithelialization therapy to prevent severe bleeding, wound inflammation, and infection of cervical lesions. Objectives: The aim of our study was to investigate the aspect of the cervix by colposcopy after a 3-month treatment with an intravaginal medical device in the context of postoperative care of the symptomatic ectropion. The study analyzed additional clinical parameters, such as the evolution of primary and secondary inflammation and the degree of cervical epithelialization as secondary objectives. Methods: Our pilot study included 27 participants with symptomatic cervical ectopy, with or without an associated Human Papillomavirus infection. The treatment protocol consisted of the monthly delivery of the medical device intravaginally, during Day 1- Day 15, with a total study duration of 3 months. Results: The medical device had a positive impact on cervical epithelialization, in terms of aspect of the cervix returning to normal for 100.00% of the participants. Between study visits, it was observed that primary inflammation was reduced by 85.19%, while vaginal ulceration, colpitis and leukorrhea, were improved by 70.37%, 81.48% and by 66.67% respectively. Conclusions: The degree of cervical epithelialization reflects how well the cervix has healed after an injury or infection. The device showed clinical performance in complete re-epithelialization after surgical procedures. Moreover, our study findings suggest that supportive treatment with this intravaginal medical device can be recommended for cervical wound healing in patients with Human Papillomavirus infection.

The International Climate Psychology Collaboration: Climate change-related data collected from 63 countries

Climate change is currently one of humanity’s greatest threats. To help scholars understand the psychology of climate change, we conducted an online quasi-experimental survey on 59,508 participants from 63 countries (collected between July 2022 and July 2023). In a between-subjects design, we tested 11 interventions designed to promote climate change mitigation across four outcomes: climate change belief, support for climate policies, willingness to share information on social media, and performance on an effortful pro-environmental behavioural task. Participants also reported their demographic information (e.g., age, gender) and several other independent variables (e.g., political orientation, perceptions about the scientific consensus). In the no-intervention control group, we also measured important additional variables, such as environmentalist identity and trust in climate science. We report the collaboration procedure, study design, raw and cleaned data, all survey materials, relevant analysis scripts, and data visualisations. This dataset can be used to further the understanding of psychological, demographic, and national-level factors related to individual-level climate action and how these differ across countries.

Facebook increases political knowledge, reduces well-being and informational treatments do little to help.

Nearly three billion people actively use Facebook, making it the largest social media platform in the world. Previous research shows that the social media platform reduces users' happiness, while increasing political knowledge. It also may increase partisan polarization. Working to build a scientific consensus, we test whether the potential negative effects of Facebook use can be overcome with the help of minimalist informational interventions that a parallel line of research has shown to be effective at inducing people to be more accurate and civil. We conducted a pre-registered well-powered Facebook deactivation experiment during the 2022 French presidential election. In line with previous research, we find that deactivating Facebook increases subjective well-being and reduces political knowledge. However, deactivating Facebook had no overall effect on the level of political or social polarization during the election. Moreover, we find little evidence that minimalist informational interventions in a field setting helped individuals who deactivated Facebook to become better informed.

Reconstructing the invention of the wheel using computational structural analysis and design

The invention of the wheel is widely credited as a pivotal moment in human history, yet the details surrounding its discovery are shrouded in mystery. There remains no scholarly consensus on key questions such as where, how and by whom this technology was originally invented. In this study, we employ state-of-the-art techniques from computational structural mechanics to shed light on this long-standing puzzle. Based on this analysis, we propose a probable path along which the wheel evolved via a sequence of three major innovations. We also introduce an original computational design algorithm that autonomously generates a wheel-and-axle system using an evolutionary process that offers insight into the way in which the first wheels probably evolved nearly 6000 years ago. Our analysis provides new supporting evidence for the recently advanced theory that the wheel was probably invented by Neolithic miners harvesting copper ore from the Carpathian Mountains as early as 3900 BC. Moreover, we show how the discovery of the wheel was made possible by the unique physical features of the mine environment, whose impact was analogous to the selective environmental pressures that drive biological evolution.

Ontologies and Research Data

This study examines the relationship between ontologies and open research data within the framework of the Semantic Web. The objective is to investigate the interconnectivity of both subjects through scholarly works that offer enhancements to the Web ecosystem and scientific research processes. The paper reviews critical theoretical frameworks related to the Semantic Web and the significance of metadata within this model. It also delves into the function that ontologies can fulfill in the Semantic Web landscape. The paper provides a historical overview of the emergence of ontologies and definitions in both Computer Science and Information Science. It chronicles how theorists in Information Science have progressively embraced the concept of ontologies since the late 20th century and assesses the current scholarly consensus on the subject. The study also addresses the importance of open research data in modern science by doing a systematic literature review; this study sources relevant publications from the Web of Science and Scopus databases, with a temporal focus from 2000 to 2023. The findings offer a comprehensive analysis of existing literature that bridges the two domains above, aiding in the theoretical and methodological systematization of the subject matter. The discussion section elaborates on the findings, offering insights into the evolutionary trajectory of the subject matter. Emphasis is placed on the utility of ontologies as tools for the sustainable and effective utilization of research data, accentuating the value of such data as a basis for future scholarly work. In conclusion, we advocate for information science to take a leading role in initiatives that leverage ontological frameworks to manage specialized knowledge in research data sets effectively, ensuring that such data remains an asset for advancing scientific understanding.

PROBLEMATIC ASPECTS OF THE MAIN COMPONENTS OF CRIMINAL OFFENSES AGAINST AQUATIC BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES

The article examines some issues of legal regulation of criminal offenses against aquatic biological resources. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the problems associated with the qualification of illegal extraction of aquatic biological resources, as well as to consider effective recommendations for improving legislative and law enforcement practice based on the study of fundamental principles. The relevance of the topic is justified by the social value and significance of both the subject and the object of the studied type of environmental criminal offenses. The issue of determining the object of the offense is complicated by the possibility of competition of norms, the article examines the mass destruction of fish resources, considered by articles on illegal fishing of fish, aquatic animals and plants, and non-compliance with the rules for the protection of representatives of the animal world. The work examines some aspects of the objective side of the act with the definition of characteristics that determine the external impact on a natural resource, the environment. In addition, the complexity of the blank dispositions may make it difficult to determine the composition of the offense. Therefore, for the correct application of the articles under study in the law enforcement activities of state bodies, there is a need to consider legislative acts in the field of environmental legislation, since this is the feature manifested in the interaction of environmental tort and criminally punishable encroachment on an environmental object. Various aspects of criminal prosecution for offenses against aquatic biological resources are considered in this article with the opinions of scientists, researchers in both criminal and environmental law; statistical data showing the dynamics of offenses in the studied area compared to last year, as well as places where these offenses were registered.

How generative artificial intelligence portrays science: Interviewing ChatGPT from the perspective of different audience segments.

Generative artificial intelligence in general and ChatGPT in particular have risen in importance. ChatGPT is widely known and used increasingly as an information source for different topics, including science. It is therefore relevant to examine how ChatGPT portrays science and science-related issues. Research on this question is lacking, however. Hence, we simulate "interviews" with ChatGPT and reconstruct how it presents science, science communication, scientific misbehavior, and controversial scientific issues. Combining qualitative and quantitative content analysis, we find that, generally, ChatGPT portrays science largely as the STEM disciplines, in a positivist-empiricist way and a positive light. When comparing ChatGPT's responses to different simulated user profiles and responses from the GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 versions, we find similarities in that the scientific consensus on questions such as climate change, COVID-19 vaccinations, or astrology is consistently conveyed across them. Beyond these similarities in substance, however, pronounced differences are found in the personalization of responses to different user profiles and between GPT-3.5 and GPT-4.

О роли органов прокуратуры по укреплению законности в области государственного оборонного заказа и необходимости совершенствования законодательства

The work is devoted to a topic that is relevant today – compliance with legislation in the field of the state defense order (hereinafter referred to as the State Defense Order), as well as issues of improving legislation in order to optimize the work of enterprises and organizations participating in the State Defense Order, respecting their rights and protecting their interests. The author has studied the issues of activity, formation and development of the functions of regulatory bodies in this area in the historical context of modern Russia. Based on the results of the analysis of statistical data, information from judicial practice, and the opinions of scientists, it was concluded that the prosecutor’s office plays an invariably important role in ensuring the rule of law in the implementation of the state defense order. The study made it possible to formulate conclusions about the possibility of changing legislation regarding the procedure for considering cases of administrative offenses related to the state defense order, which would ensure the participation of the prosecutor in their consideration and have a positive impact on legal relations in the field of state defense orders.